Foster J. Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations
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WEBSITE CONTENT AND DESIGN – THE
ESSENTIALS
According to the Internet Advertising Bureau, worldwide over a billion
are now regularly online every day; that’s a sixth of the global population.
In the UK, 65 per cent are connected to the inter net – that’s some 14.2
million households; those who aren’t online tend to be in the older or
lower socio-economic groups. In another few years, that figure could
easily reach 20 million online homes.
Men are more likely to use the internet than women, says Nielsen
netratings. Even so, young women are the largest online group,
accounting for 18 per cent of the population and a fifth of all computer
time, reports the RSA Journal. Seven in ten 16 to 24 year-olds (Ofcom,
2006) and one in five 25 to 34 year-olds (KPMG, 2007) use UK networking
sites.
Clearly then, a company’s website is a powerful public relations tool,
not only for communicating directly with most consumers, but also with
businesses and organisations of all sizes.
Good web writing – what it is
Journalists usually go to a company’s website for first information and
contacts. Therefore, it must be well-written and to the point. If that is
achieved then all other users will get the benefit of seeing short sentences
and paragraphs, no clichés or jargon – subjects covered in earlier chapters
which all apply. Even so, web writing is not like writing a printed
brochure or leaflet. Web users don’t treat a web page like a newspaper
article or book: they tend to scan it and look for the important parts, those
which they want to know about.
Let’s start at the beginning. Your audience is your first priority as a
writer. You must first define it and take that definition as a guide for
content. Is your website written in a way they will understand and
appreciate? Does it give the information they need? Is it relevant? You
should ensure that everything you write follows the company’s house
style, that it is in simple and plain language (no fancy Latin terms or
foreign words).
Use the short word for the long, and go for the active tense rather than
the passive. Keep to the rules of grammar, watch for spelling mistakes
and don’t slip into sloppy texting language whatever you do. There’s no
room for ‘weblish’ in business communications. Take a tip from the adver-
tiser: persuade the viewer to do something, to take action of some kind,
say go to a specific link, call a telephone number, send an email, perhaps
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contact the organisation by snail mail. Write for your audience and give
them what they want. Since most visitors scan the pages, use headings
and bullet points to highlight the crucial points.
Above all, ensure that there is a link to the online press office if you
have one, if not to a press release archive with names, contact numbers
and email addresses. For some, that can be an irritation and some PR
practitioners prefer to use a regular email address rather than have the
viewer log on to a site where enquiries have to go through a dedicated
web page. See Chapter 10, Writing for the press, for more on this.
Presentation matters
Put the subject or most important point at the top of the page in the same
way the print journalist does and sets it ‘above the fold’. Start with a short
intro to say what the page is all about. Then launch into detail but not too
much of it. Most web users’ attention span is short and unless you hold
their interest they will give up and move to another site. Left to right and
up-down eye movement should be taken into account when designing
web pages or presenting information. This is the involuntary way our
eyes track information.
There are several key factors here: write in short chunks, say between
8 and 10 words per line, never more than 20–30 words in all, preferably
fewer. Insert a line space between each one to provide ‘air’ and to kill any
stodgy look. Scanning readers will tend to read the first line and skip the
rest. Break up your text into just a few paragraphs with each one having a
central point or idea. Aim for a fact in each sentence. Cut out any waffle or
needless, redundant words. And be as brief as you can.
Text design basics
Most web-page designers will specify a sans-serif typeface, for example
Arial, Helvetica or Verdana for text. Serif fonts, like Times Roman or
Bodoni are rarely used, except within images. Set text no smaller than 12
point, leaded one or two points. Range left to produce ragged right text,
so no indents. This is far easier to read than justified text with both sides
lined up. Use a light background colour with black or dark shade for text
and for headings and subheadings at line-starts. Do not specify more than
two or perhaps three different typefaces on one page: that can only irritate
and confuse the reader.
Use bullet points, usually dots or other typographic symbols, for short
one-liners of up to 10 or 12 words and to signal important points. Figures
are better than letters for lists, but a bold dot will usually be sufficient.
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One of the best ways to secure attention is to split up text that would
normally occupy a paragraph into short bulleted points of just a few
words.
You can cheer up the dullest page with a draw-down quote of only a
few words, by inserting a picture or other illustration. Website visitors
will look for the signposts that will take them to the information they
want: hyperlinks will stand out in colour and underlined, but don’t use
bold or italics within the text. Leave typo graphical styles like that to head-
ings and subheadings. And don’t underline anywhere, otherwise it will
be thought to be a hyperlink.
A good heading is crucial
This subject has been covered in Chapter 7 and the principles outlined
there relate also to the web page. These are worth summarising here:
always use a verb and put it in the active voice otherwise it becomes
bland and boring, what is called a verbless ‘label’ heading; be creative and
think of a play on words, a double entendre or anything that will jerk the
eye and encourage the reader to read on and find out more.
Make them descriptive, even funny if you like. Don’t let headlines run
into more than one line if you can help it, don’t use capitals as they can be
seen as aggressive and forbidding. The capitalised heading seems as if it is
shouting at you. And that would never do.
First priority: make it readable
Readability is all-important. Consider carefully and take in all the points
made in Chapter 6. Try to keep each page small enough to occupy the
user’s screen, and avoid the messy business of running over to another
page – that is if you have held the reader’s attention that far.
It helps if you vary the length of paragraphs and, as in printwork, keep
to short sentences of up to 20 words. Insert illustrations and, as previously
emphasised, write in bite-sized chunks. A screen-full of text is almost
impossible to read and means an instant switchover to another page or
more likely to a new website.
A page with white spaces – empty areas devoid of text or images –
helps to make the page readable and more alive. The spaces make it easier
for the reader to read and give the eyes the chance of a rest.
Don’t overcrowd the screen with too much detail. It is not a good idea
to have more than two or perhaps three colours on one page. Do not put
text in lightish colour over another pale one: always go for contrast. Black
on white works well, but is not very kind on the eye. Dark blue over a
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yellow, on the other hand, works well provided the yellow is not a dark
one.
Do not reverse out long runs of text using a light colour out of a dark
one; you can do that in a heading but in text it sets the brain on edge.
Never let type stretch right across the page: some say it would be better to
put it into two columns, but even that spells too much to me. Inform,
entertain, satisfy and keep it simple are key to designing a readable
website page.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD WEBSITE
Long before you start website writing there are some prime decisions to
make. Among these are what it is for and what you want it to do for you
and your company. Do you see an internet presence primarily as a selling
medium, an extension of your marketing activity or as an information
source? Do you want to make your website markedly different from
others in the sector?
To answer such questions you will need to carry out in-depth market
research to ensure that you will provide your target audiences with what
they need and want. As a start, it would be an idea to browse through
your competitors’ sites and see how they do it and what ‘extras’ they
provide, for example interactivity, podcasts, audio and video webcasts,
blogs and so on.
Then you must ensure that it is easy to navigate with an option to
search the site, is fully accessible to all including those with disabilities,
and preferably has an online press centre with RSS (Really Simple
Syndication) feeds to deliver news and features direct to the user. The
home page should have a link to the online press centre which should
have full contact details and contain a press release archive. See also
Chapter 10.
Make provision for regular updating: an outdated site, even of just a
week or so, is worse than useless. News and new developments about
the company should ideally flash up on the user’s screen with links
for more details. Include an events calendar, a site map and search
facility. The home page should give the address and telephone number of
the company to save journalists and others the trouble of searching
through endless detail, as well as hyperlinks to the press centre and
contact points.
Replays of speeches, presentations, reports and articles by key
personnel to allow users to download audio files to desktop and MP3
players should be provided and be readily accessible. A virtual tour of the
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company and its facilities would be a novel add-on among the ‘bells and
whistles’ of an early 21st century website. And, of course, a webmaster to
whom any comments or complaints should be addressed must be promi-
nently displayed.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) should be kept in mind. Content
providers and website designers should ensure that sites are organised
for access by search engines. Most users don’t know the particular
domain name or URL of a website and tend to search a word or phrase in
Google or Yahoo, or indeed any other search engine.
It is important that a website’s content is optimised so that the site will
be ranked high on the chosen search engine. An example would be trying
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Figure 18.1 Diabetes UK, the winning website in the 2007 CIPR Excellence
Awards. Statistics show that this new site has increased ‘stickability’: average
length of time visitors stay on the site doubled
to minimise the use of images (say those containing funky text) as headers
instead of using normal text and adjusting the font.
Accessibility priorities
Websites now have a duty by law to be fully accessible to all visitors. Even
though there has yet to be a test case, any newly-built websites must
adhere to the guidelines set out by the Web Accessibility Initiative,
emphasises Marie York, the CIPR’s former Head of Innovation. The terms
of the guidelines on navigation and quick tips to make accessible websites
are given in the WAI website (www.w3.org/WAI/quicktips/).
A lawyer’s view
Website designers must be careful not to discriminate against disabled
people, says barrister Philip Circus, a partner in Lawmark, the Marketing
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Figure 18.2 Kent Fire and Rescue Service website wins Communicators in
Business 2007 award in best navigation/usability class. ‘An excellent site that
works hard,’ say the judges
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Law Advisory Service (www.lawmark.co.uk). The Disability Discrimina -
tion Act 1995 applies to any company providing goods or services to
the public and forbids any discrimination on the basis of a person’s
disability.
The DDA is usually thought of in terms of access to buildings, but as
online marketing grows apace, it also covers websites. Failure to adhere to
the Act is a breach of statutory duty and, he says, ‘could be actionable by
an aggrieved individual’. Circus adds that success in a claim would give a
‘right to damages’.
Another legal point worth noting here is the need to update your elec-
tronic information. From 1 January 2007, a company’s website and other
electronic communications had to contain the same legally-required infor-
mation as given on stationery and other hard copy documents. If the busi-
ness is a limited company, the company’s name must be given together
with its place of registration and number, and the address of its registered
office. If the firm’s share capital is stated, the amount must be its paid-up
share capital.
‘Emails are essentially business letters in electronic form and must
comply. Every email should therefore contain the relevant information as
standard,’ says Anne Copley, Head of Legal at the British Printing
Industries Federation.
Meeting the needs of your target audience
Be clear about the target audience. The website is a prime means of
communication between the organisation and its publics and not just an
information source for all and sundry. Everything you write and how it is
written, the design concepts and the style of your company must come
across to the user in the simplest, most con cise way. In other words, it
should be user-friendly, relevant and up-to-date.
The Investor Relations Society (IRS) has set out the key principles in its
best practice website guidelines. These include the provision of a compre-
hensive site map, a search-site facility with a feedback mechanism for
those having difficulty in finding what they want, and a tracking system
at the top or bottom of the page to give visitors a quick reference to their
current position on the site.
Other key points are that the site must be regularly updated and
content reviewed at least once a month, if not weekly. Press releases
should be uploaded to the website as soon as they are published. The
same applies to publications such as the annual and interim reports,
brochures and policy documents as well as to speeches, reports and arti-
cles by key executives.
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Podcasts should be made available immediately once a presentation or
speech has been delivered. The website designer should also set up an
email alert system to draw attention to AGMs, conferences, exhibitions
and meetings so that advance information can be requested and pro -
vided.
And of course it goes without saying that your site must be carefully
monitored and the number of ‘hits’ regularly recorded. The name and
contact name of the webmaster must be prominently displayed, with
other contact details of senior executives giving telephone/mobile
numbers, as well as email and postal addresses.
A specialist PR view
‘Engage, inform, entertain,’ says Diana Thompson, managing director of
PlusPoint PR, a specialist consultancy. ‘Web design is a real art, combining
both logic and creative skills. The logic ensures that the site mapping is
good and users can instantly define and access information and move
around the site or to links in an effortless manner.
‘The creativity is required to keep the user involved and to make the
content so valuable or useful that they return again and again. It is a big
mistake for companies to believe their corporate or product literature can
just be transferred into this medium.
‘The internet is such a powerful multi-media tool and users expect both
excitement and instant satisfaction. Huge text blocks are dull so should be
dissected into bite-size pieces. Pages should be well illustrated with still
or moving images, but bear in mind the effect your choice will have on the
speed of page loading.
‘Response mechanisms to involve users work well if they are effec-
tively constructed and easy to use. Topicality is key; being out of date is a
PR disaster. Users expect latest company and product data and it is also a
great way to relay your latest news stories.
‘And, finally, don’t forget to talk to specialist agencies to ensure you are
at the top of search engines such as Google and Yahoo when key words
are logged in.’
A computer expert says…
Steve Sawyer, senior business consultant and web integration specialist at
Computer Software Group, says that the goal is a readable, usable site
through which the visitor can interact with the organisation. Clear, consis-
tent navigation, plenty of links to further or supporting content for the
enquiring mind, and the provision for interactivity are all crucial.
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‘From a PR viewpoint, the designer must make provision for an online
press centre with the latest press releases, easy access to archive material,
the ability to download video clips and podcasts of speeches, photo -
graphs.’ Above all, he says, the web offers the opportunity to engage
with visitors and encourage further activity, whether that is to download
materials, visit supporting sites, purchase products or services, register an
interest, comment or even criticise.
Sawyer emphasises that it is important for the writer to recognise that
while the organisation might have a target audience in mind, content is
rarely restricted to one type of reader. ‘Journalists, investors, customers,
activists, detractors and stakeholders of all varieties will read the same
information. Rigorous consistency of message is therefore required: you
can’t say one thing to one group and something else to another.’
He adds that the most effective websites build relationships with visi-
tors, as a trusted source of information, product or service provider, or
engaging in a debate.
An IT specialist observes…
Branislav Bokan, an IT specialist with a major London banking group,
says that he sees a lot of ‘weblish’ in day-to-day communication with
fellow professionals, for instance inconsistent use of capital letters, and
extensive use of ‘short cuts’ especially when receiving messages from
senior management, the most popular being ‘ASAP’.
As for website design, he thinks that it would be a good idea to have
soothing background ‘mood’ music playing for everyone’s enjoyment
while presenting information to the visitor, quoting furniture manufac-
turer and reseller Ligne Roset (www.ligne-roset-swisscottage.co.uk) as a
good example. Click on it and have a listen.
Bokan says that website designers should make sure that navigation
between pages is easy and quick, otherwise the user will soon lose interest
and move on to another site. ‘Keep the site simple and easy to use so that
the visitor will return and recommend it to other people.’ If there is a
printer-friendly option to enable the user to print out pages in a good,
readable way, that would be a plus point.
Best for local government communication
The North Lincolnshire Council reports in its Style Guide that in 2005
nearly 4.5 million people viewed its website, a million more than the
previous year. The website is the fastest and most popular way for people
to find out about the council, says Stacey Dickens, the council’s copy-
writer.
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She says that every page on its site (www.northlincs.gov.uk) has a link
on it to other pages, adding this advice: ‘When inserting a hyperlink
ensure that the link text describes where the person will be taken, for
example the BBC website should read BBC website not www. bbc.co.uk.’
Accessibility is again a prime requirement. The guide advises that any
images used must have an alternative text that appears when the mouse
hovers over the image. This helps text-based browsers and people with
visual impairments. PDF attachments should show their file size included
in the web page link and when a PDF file is inserted, an explanation of the
document is needed together with instructions to download an Adobe
Acrobat reader.
Any language that might be objectionable to readers should be
avoided, emphasises Stacey. ‘For example the term “old age pensioner” or
“OAP” was once considered commonplace. Today it is considered offen-
sive.’ Content of web pages, particularly email addresses and contact
details, should be kept up to date and checked regularly.
Building a website
Once you have chosen and registered a domain name – through your ISP
(Internet Service Provider) for example – you will have your own
Uniform Resource Locator (URL). This is your website’s connection to the
internet and the worldwide network of computers. Start with a site plan
for navigating from the entry point, the home page. Then create a site map
to provide links to other pages.
PR strategy
Advice will be needed on the style of the site in much the same way as it
would for a corporate brochure or house magazine. Moreover, internet
strategy must fit in with the organisation’s overall business plan. Making
the website work for the user in the most effective and profitable way
should be the prime objective. PR objectives must, therefore, be settled at
the outset.
You must decide how much information should be freely available,
how much should be restricted through a password and, if appropriate,
how to handle payments. And you must agree policy on the provision of
media information – press releases, biographies, and details about the
company structure, history, staffing and contacts.
Working with the designer
Your IT specialist must not be allowed to take charge of the design.
Look for a graphics designer with broad experience of setting up websites